Featured Reviews

Rocky Point Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016

12 May,2017

Rocky Point is the secondary label of Prophet’s Rock, a
Central Otago producer with two vineyards in the Bendigo sub-region. The ‘Home’ vineyard on the Chinaman’s
Terraces produces Pinot Noirs with depth, complexity and longevity, whereas the
‘Rocky Point’ vineyard, more southerly situated and nearer Lake Dunstan, on
schist soil lends greater approachability.
Winemaker Paul Pujol has a distinctly European approach to the
winemaking and the wines made to date have been of high quality and provoke
plenty of interest and thought. I have
found the Rocky Point Pinot Noir growing in consistency and quality over recent
vintages as Paul has become more familiar with the vineyard which was acquired
for the 2013 vintage. Here, I review the
new 2016 Rocky Point Pinot Noir.
www.prophetsrock.co.nz

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Rocky Point Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Otago

18/20

Full, dark, deep, black-red colour with youthful purple
hues. This has a firmly concentrated,
densely packed nose of restrained, but ripe black cherry and berry fruits with
nuances of plums, thyme herbs and aromatic black minerals. Medium-full bodied, the palate has rich,
luscious and vibrant fruit flavours of ripe black cherries and berries with
hints of plums, herbs and hints of liquorice.
The fruit is enlivened by fresh, lacy acidity providing energy and
tension, and supported by fine-grained balancing tannins. The wine flows along a fine-textured line with
good vitality, leading to an elegantly concentrated, lingering finish of black
fruits. This is a rich and stylishly
luscious, black-fruited Pinot Noir with fresh acidity and fine,-grained structure
with an elegantly concentrated line.
Match with lamb, beef and venison over the next 5-6+ years. Pinot Noir fruit predominantly from the ‘Rocky
Point’ vineyard, hand-picked, fully destemmed and indigenous yeast fermented to
13.5% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 15% new French oak. 18.0/20
May 2017 RRP $29.99